Spring-gun



(No Model.)

J. D. EGLER,

SPRING-GUN.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JACOB D. EGLER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,096, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed October 19, 1888. Serial No. 288,534. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB D. EGLER, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Marble Guns or Catapults; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to marble guns or catapultsthat is, to toy guns operated by a springfor shooting marbles, balls, and like substances, its object being to provide a simple and cheaply-formed marble-gun and one which is not liable to get out of order.

In my improved gun I arrange the spring power at the top of the barrel, causing the movement of the ejector by means of an elastic band connecting it to the forward end of the gun, and I employ a buifer (cushioned with some suitable elastic material) for checking the movement of the ejector, abumper or shoulder on the ejector striking against this buffer. I also employ a ball-retaining device by which, when the marble or ball is inserted within the barrel, it can be retained therein until it is discharged, so enabling me to discharge the gun in any particular direction. I have also improved the gun in other particulars, as will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of my improved marble-gun. Fig. 2 is a like view partly broken away, so as to show the interior portions thereof. Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. 4 is aside View partly broken away, showing the gun when discharged; and Figs. 5, 6, and7 are detailed views of parts of the gun.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

In my improved gun the stock a is generally cast to shape, the barrel 1) being formed of sheet-iron and secured to the stock by soldering or other suitable means. The stock a is formed hollow, and its lower end provided with a sliding plate, a, fitting into a dovetail seat and having the spring-lip 0. the stock of the gun thus forming a hollow receptacle for holding the marble 0,01 for holding any additional rubber or elastic bands in case of the breaking of the band in the gun. The barrel 1) is provided with a slot, 1), extending along the top thereof=from the rear end, where the barrel connects with the stock toward the forward end, though not reaching quite thereto, the forward end of the barrel having in line with said slot b the buffer e, provided with the cushion e, of rubber or like material, this buffer being employed to stop the movement of the ejector, as hereinafter described. At the end of the barrel, beyond the buffer 6, is the hook 19 which holds the elastic band (1, which acts to impart the power to the ejector f. This ejector f is of peculiar construction, it having the body portion f, which extends longitudinally of the barrel and extends up through the slot b, the ejector having within the barrel the ejecting or dis-.

charging face g and the shoulder t, the ejecting-face being of slightly less diameter than the internal bore or diameter of the barrel, so as to slide therein, and the shoulder c' extending out from the body f on each side of the slot b, so that said ejecting-face and shoulder hold the ejector f in proper line.

Above the barrel the ejector f has the shoulder or buffer-face, h, which is in line with the cushion e of the buffer 6, so that when the ejector is forced forward this shoulder h strikes against the buffer and the movement of the ejector is controlled by the buffer, and at the same time injury to the parts of the gun by the force exerted by the elastic band 01 and consequent jarring is prevented. The ejector f has also-the arm 70, having a crosspiece, 10, at the top thereof, the elastic band d fitting over said arm k and said hook b being held in proper place by the cross-piece'lc and the hook 12 The trigger of the gun is formed of tWo'parts--namely, the triangular sheet-metal piece I, which is bent up centrally, as shown, so as to form a guideway between its faces for the elbow-piece m, which passes through a. hole in said triangular piece Z, said hole acting as a pivot for the trigger, and the sheet-metal piece Z being secured to the barrel in such way that its rear edges, Z, form a stop or shoulder to receive the loop 9?. on the ejector, while its front edges, Z act as an incline to force said loop or along into such position that it will spring down upon a catch on said shoulder Z, and thus retain the ejector in proper place for discharging; the gun. The trigger or elbow-pieee m is of such shape that when fitted into the triangular sheetmetal piece Z and having one arm passing through the hole therein it is pivoted without the necessity of any special pivot-pin, and as the handle part of the trigger is drawn back the other end thereof rises within the guides formed as above set forth and forces the spring-loop off said shoulder Z, so discharging the gun. The spring-loop a is formed of spring-wire and is secured to the body f of the ejector, the loop extending backwardly from the ejector-body in such position that as the ejector is drawn back to set the gun the loop will travel up the incline Z of the trigger and catch the shoulder 1 thereof, and so be retained in place.

As it is evident that if the marble or ball were placed within the barrel of the gun and the barrel held at a downward incline the ball would roll out and escape from the barrel, I have provided what I term the ball-retainer, as at 1), this ball-retainer being secured to the under portion of the barrel 1) and being hinged thereto, as shown at p, and being formed of a spring-wire or other suitable material which will act to hold the ball-retainer in any desired position, the wire being bent, as shown in Fig. 2, first upwardly, as at r, and then curved from its point of pivoting, as at 7', its end r extending out through the base of the barrel and the shoulder portion 0' acting to hold the ball or marble between it and the ejector f.

The ball-retaineris pivoted at the rear part thereof to the barrel, and while the curved part r thereof gives such spring to the retainer as to hold it in place, when the gun is discharged, the force of the ball against the ball-retainer forces the ball-retainer down into the position shown in Fig. 4, thus leaving the ball free to be ejected from the gun. This ball-retainer is secured in place, being first pivoted to a separate sheetunetal piece, 8, having a small lip, s, which is bent over a hook or bend in the wire forming the body of the retainer, and so secures the ball-retainer to said wire, while to secure the ball-retainer in place in the barrel it is only necessary to solder said plate 8 thereon.

\Vhen my improved gun is in use, the arm 7a of the ejector is grasped and the ejector is drawn back within the barrel until the springloop a catches on the shoulder Z of the trigger, thus retaining the ejector in its position ready for discharge. The ball or marble is then placed within the barrel, and by pressing up the ball-retainer 19 it is quickly raised within the barrel, as shown in Fig. 1, thus holding the ball in the position desired when the gun is ready for firin It can be retained in this position, and as the ball or marble is held by the ball-retainer there is no fear of its being lost in case the gun is held at the downward incline.

hen it is desired to discharge the gun, it can be aimed from the cross-bar 7.5, along the line of the elastic band (I, and when it is to be discharged by drawing on the elbow-piece m of the trigger the inner end thereof is raised, so raising the spring-loop m and freeing 1t from the shoulder Z, when the ejector is free to move, and the force of the spring d draws it quickly forward, its speed being accelerated as it moves forward and the ejector forcing out the ball at a considerable speed until it strikes the cushioned buifere, this butler acting to stop the movement of the ejector while the ball is discharged from the barrel. As soon as the ejector commences to move it forces the ball against the ball-retainer p, and the pressure of the ball quickly forces said ball-retainer out of the barrel, the ball-retainer assuming the position shown in Fig. 4:. The movement of the ejector within the barrel is guided by the ejector-face g and the shoulder 1', which holds it in proper line, the shoulder 71 preventing the canting of the ejector within the barrel, as would probably be the case if said shoulder were not employed, the compressing force of the band from the arm k to the hook b having a tendency to cant the ejector. hen the shoulder h strikes against the cushion e of the buffer c, it stops the movement of the ejector, at the same time preventing any injury thereto, and also acts by the sudden checking of the ejector to accelerate the movement of the ball and assist in the discharge thereof.

After the discharge of the gun all that is necessary is to draw back the ejector till the loop end catches on the trigger to insert the marble or ball, and by the pressure of the thumb force up the ball-retainer p, when it is ready for another discharge.

The gun has been found by actual use to be durable, and it has considerable powerall that is desirable for such a toy. Its parts are simple in construction and cheap, and can be put together in such way that it is not liable to get out of order; and as the only power necessary is exerted by an elastic band, in case this band breaks it can be quickly renewed.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a marble-gun, the combination of a barrel having a slot extending along the top thereof and a buffer or elastic cushion at the forward end of the barrel, and an ejector fitting within the barrel and slot and having a bumper above the barrel adapted to strike against said buffer, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a marble-gun, the combination of a barrel having a slot extending along the top thereof and a buffer having an elastic cushion on its face, an ejector fitting within the barrel and having a bumper or shoulder above the barrel adapted to strike against the cushion of said buffer, and an elastic-band connection between said ejector and the forward end of the barrel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a marble-gun, the combination, with the barrel having a slot extending along the top thereof; of the skeleton ejector f, fitting in said barrel and slot and provided with the longitudinally-extending body f, having the circular disk g, forming an ejecting-face at the forward end, the shoulder 0. at the rear end, and the arm it above the barrel, and the elastic band connecting the arm is with the forward end of the barrel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a marble-gun, the combination, with the barrel having the slot extending along the top thereof and having a trigger, of the ejector fitting in said barrel and slot and provided with the body f, having the ejectingface g at the forward end thereof, the springloop n, engaging with said trigger and the arm is above the barrel, and the elastic band connecting said arm with the forward end of the barrel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In marble-guns, the barrel 1), having the ball-retainer p, hinged at its rear end to the base of the barrel and extending up into the same in the course of the ejector and provided with means for holding it in such position, but so as to be forced down When the ball is discharged, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In marble-guns, the combination, with the barrel, of the trigger formed of the triangular piece Z, bent up so as to form parallel faces or guideways and having the inclined edges Z and shoulder Z, the elbow-piece 'm, fitting between the parallel faces of said piece Z, and the ejector mechanism Within the barrel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said J AOOB D. EGLER, have hereunto set my hand.

JACOB D. EG-LER.

Witnesses: D

J. N. OooKE, JAMES I. KAY. 

